Day 264 of 365 Days of Writing Prompts: Write about a ritual your character fears.
Shannon: I didn’t want to get in front of the crowd and do some crazy fire dance to have random people determine the path of my soul. How could they decide where I belonged by seeing me complete a sequence of choreography? They didn’t know anything. They just liked to pretend they did.
Erin: He dreaded even the thought of weddings. Too much commitment, too much money, and too much attention. No thanks, not for him.
What makes your character cringe?
Pelky Sisters 
There was a lot of shrapnel from the villain’s attack. Jade, Animalia, and Night Ghost push ahead. They manage to stop the Kaplite sent to cause havoc. They subdue him, then head back to the alley they left their other teammates.
Starry is leaning against a wall, his hands on two different places; his left is on his right bicep, his right is on his limply over his left abdomen. But those aren’t the only places that got hit. Proton-ess is working with the kit she brought with her, but she’s panicking.
Jade kneels next to them while the others check for anyone coming near them. Proton-ess looks at him and shakes her head, “I can’t help him.”
“Then we’ll take him to the-”
“No,” she says firmly, “I can’t help him. Not here, not back at base. He needs a hospital.”
Jade looks at her trembling hands, covered in Starry’s blood.
‘No. Not Starry Knight,’ Josh tells himself, ‘Finn. Finn Russell. Not just a teammate, but my friend.’ He looks at Finn, who’s trying to keep his eyes open. ‘My friend is dying.’
“We’ll bring him to the hospital,” August decides. Jacey doesn’t argue, like she has before. Instead, they go through the routine.
A routine they hate having to go through.
Jacey takes anything from Finn that would signify his identity; his jacket, his paints, brushes, and pens, and his belt. Nikki uses her gloves to make water, and washes his face paint off. Josh and August shed their gear, so they look as normal as they can. When Nikki’s done, she trades places with Josh so she can do the same. He puts a hand where he can assure Finn he’s there without hurting him.
August checks for anyone outside the alley. By the time he looks back, Jacey is out of her smaller amount of hero gear. The stuff is hidden, but she’ll stay there with it, as a mouse. Josh finishes the call to Rick for a pick up. Then Josh carefully picks up Finn. He matches August’s gaze for a split second, then they, along with Nikki, head out of the alley and follow the small group of people going to ambulances there to handle the wounded.
Josh knows August is subtly watching the police. Josh knows Nikki is adjusting the typical alibi to fit the situation. Josh keeps his eyes on the closest ambulance.
He hates that they need this routine.
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